Demolition Sessions
THE JOYS
As you slip on your headphones and close your eyes, you’re sitting front-row at your local underground punk venue. Your foot is tapping, your head is banging along to the beat and as you raise your drink high in the air you attempt to sing along. You can’t explain it but it just feels right… The raspy voice of Sarah from The Joys raises the hairs on the back of your neck, while the boys make you dance in your seat when their hands magically strike the guitar, bass and pound the drums. The energy and feeling just oozes out of the speakers as The Joys play through their set as you instantly fall in love with them.

This pop punk band from London, Ontario - formerly known as POPJOY - led by Sarah Smith is a force to be reckoned with. It’s no wonder that they are taking the world by storm; their sound is a mix between “both contemporary and classic”. Demolition Sessions is not what I expected; it’s far from typical and felt like my own personal concert once I put those headphones on. This is probably the closest thing to hearing The Joys live and I haven’t put it down since. The sound by this female-led band feels extremely familiar, soothing and to say the least, exhilarating. The album is filled with such variety that no matter what type of sound you prefer, you’re bound to found a quick favorite through your first listen. Demolition Sessions has a bonus track that kicks ass, but my favorite thing about this album is that it’s one of the few CDs that I’ve enjoyed the entire collection. It felt like Sarah was singing just for me. The Joys have created a demo that makes you want to jump around, strike your air guitar, and sing straight into your hair brush while dancing around in your room. With colored Mohawks, a punk attitude, their strong fan base and positive energy - The Joys are bringing back pop punk, one set of headphones at a time.

-Monica Martin